Retirement of Lord Lieutenant Sir Ian Dudson

Rugeley Rifle Club was represented at Sunday’s civic service marking Sir Ian Dudson’s impending retirement as Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire. Graham Kershaw attended the service at Lichfield Cathedral with his wife Glenys. Sir Ian visited the club in March to present the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Sir Ian will formally leave office on July 15th – his 75th birthday. Lord Lieutenants must retire at 75. In Apil, Professor Liz Barnes, teachers and former Vice-Chancellor of Staffordshire University was named as Sir Ian’s successor.

#Civic #KAVS #LichfieldCathedral #LordLieutenant #RugeleyRifleClub #SirIanDudson

Lord Lieutenant presents King’s Award at club prize-giving

Rugeley Rifle Club was honoured to host the Lord Lieutenant for Staffordshire, Sir Ian Dudson KCVO CBE on Friday 28th March at our annual prizegiving. Accompanied by local councillors and Josh Newbury MP, Sir Ian visited to present the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, gazetted in November. Whilst visiting, he presented a number of awards and trophies and toured the club, viewing the ranges and learning about the club’s volunteering and charitable activities.

A £500 cheque was also presented to Rugeley and District Community First Responders, and £350 was presented to Staffordshire & Shropshire 4×4 Response – two of the club’s chosen charities. RADCFR maintain the defibrillator hosted on the outside of the club. This lifesaving piece of equipment was installed in 2019. Since then it has been activated six times, and used at least twice. SAS 4×4 Response provide charitable event support and transport for workers such as nurses during extreme weather.

The Lord Lieutenant was accompanied by Cllr Phil Hewitt (Chair, Staffordshire County Council), Cllr Steve Thornley (Chair, Cannock Chase District Council), Cllr David Williams, Josh Newbury MP and the Rt Hon Dame Amanda Milling.

Trophies

• Short Range Champion – Richard Hemingway
• 50metre Frostbite Champion (Winter) -Martyn Buttery
• 50M/ISSF Champion – Ryan Williams
• Dewar Champion – Richard Hemingway
• 10M Air Pistol Champion – Paul Watkiss
• 10M Air Rifle Champion – Zoe Perkin
• Benchrest Champion – Paul Watkiss
• Young Gun Trophy – Phoebe Haughton
• Junior Short Range Trophy – Alex Buttery
• Junior Long Range Trophy – Alex Buttery
• Junior Air Rifle Trophy – Izzy Ward
• Junior Air Pistol Trophy – Pippa Watterson

Awards

• Best Potential (Junior) – Oliver Hill
• Best Potential (Senior) – Carl Kimberley
• Best Improver – Mick Chaganis
• Secretary’s Award – Media Team (Becky Andrews, Martyn Buttery, Richard Hemingway & Carl Kimberley)

Captain’s Award Nominees

Ryan Cockbill (Winner)

• Qualified for final, placed 5th in SH2 50Metre Prone at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris

Olivia Beech

• Represented GB at 2024 Nordic Championships
• Represented GB at 2024 FISU World University Shooting Championship in New Delhi

Megan Bamsey

• Represented GB at 2024 FISU World University Shooting Championship in New Delhi

Helen Robinson

• Selected as reserve for the GB team in the Drew U-21 Match

#IanDudson #KAVS #KingsAwardForVoluntaryService #LordLieutenant #NSRA #Prizegiving #RugeleyRifleClub

Driving force behind new Haverfordwest school awarded British Empire Medal

Paul Lucas received his insignia from His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards, at a special ceremony at County Hall, Haverfordwest, on Monday, January 20th.

Mr Lucas was named in the New Year Honours for services to education and charity in Pembrokeshire.

Mr Lucas was Chairman of Governors at the newly created Haverfordwest High VC School at the time of its official opening by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal in 2022.

Mr Lucas oversaw the amalgamation of the former Sir Thomas Picton and Tasker Milward schools into Haverfordwest High and the building of the fantastic new school on the former Sir Thomas Picton site.

Hosting the event, the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council Cllr Steve Alderman noted that many, many thousands of students for decades to come will enjoy first class educational facilities at the new school, thanks to the dedication of Mr Lucas.

His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Dyfed, Miss Sara Edwards, said: “On behalf of His Majesty The King, it was an honour and an enormous privilege to present Mr Paul Lucas with the British Empire Medal. 

“Mr Lucas has provided incredible service to Pembrokeshire and Haverfordwest in particular and has been a driving force for educational improvement. His work will have a lasting legacy for future generations.”

Assisting the Lord-Lieutenant for the ceremony was Lord-Lieutenant Cadet Sergeant Mariana Lemon.

Also in attendance for the special occasion were the Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Jon Harvey; the High Sheriff of Dyfed, Helen Jones, and Deputy Lieutenant of Dyfed, Col Martin Green, along with Mr Lucas’ family and invited guests.

(Lead image: Pembrokeshire Council)

#BritishEmpireMedal #Haverfordwest #HaverfordwestHighVCSchool #LordLieutenant #NewYearsHonours #Pembrokeshire #PembrokeshireCouncil #SaraEdwards

Letter from the Lord Lieutenant

Thankyou to Ian Dudson CBE, Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire for his kind words on the announcement of the club’s receipt of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service. We very much look forward to the formal presentation with the Lord Lieutenant in the New Year.

#IanDudsonCBE #KAVS #KingsAwardForVoluntaryService #LordLieutenant #RugeleyRifleClub #Service #Volunteers